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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which sociologist's research on loneliness does Abrams cite in Part II?

2. Where was Abrams driving with Archbishop Tutu a decade before the publication of the book when they became stuck in traffic?

3. What paradox surrounding loneliness does the Dalai Lama speak of in Part II?

4. What does Archbishop Tutu think about the nature of humans?

5. What is Archbishop Tutu's advice for people in dealing with their own negative thoughts?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part I, why does Archbishop Tutu wonder how the Dalai Lama is not morose?

2. In Part II, what does Abrams learn about Archbishop's Tutu methods of calming himself when the two are stuck in bad traffic?

3. In Part I, what is one of the ways the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu express their affection for each other?

4. In Part II, what does the Dalai Lama advise for people who are grieving lost loved ones?

5. In the Introduction, what distinction does Tutu make between joy and happiness?

6. In the Introduction, why does Abrams say Archbishop Tutu might not have been able to travel to take part in the talks that made up the material for the book?

7. In Part I, what frightening personal story does Abrams share about his own family?

8. In Part II, what does the Dalai Lama identify as the connection between fear and anger?

9. In Part II, what is the main difference between how the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu advise people to handle feelings of envy?

10. In Part I, how does Abrams explain the so-called hedonic treadmill?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Are the Dalai Lama's and Archbishop Desmond Tutu's teachings about forgiveness - and the human capacity for forgiveness - realistic? Write an essay explaining your opinion, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Consider the following quote from Brother David Steindel-Rast on page 242: "It is not happiness that makes us grateful. It is gratefulness that makes us happy." How does this quote apply to the Dalai Lama's teachings on the relationship between gratitude and joy? Write an essay explaining your answer.

Essay Topic 3

How would you explain the so-called "paradox of happiness" that the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu discuss on page 261? Write an essay explaining your answer, and explore how this concept relates to the pillars of joy in general.

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